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joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam
The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.
Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.
Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!
Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.
Click here to report a problem with this page.
Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:
- This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "atm card department" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
- "foreign payment department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
Fraud email example:
From: UBA BANK OF BENIN <officebase890@gmail.com>
Reply-To: UBA BANK OF BENIN <william22john@outlook.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2016 19:18:31 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Dear Sir/Madam,
DIRECTOR ATM CARD DEPARTMENT UBA BANK PLC
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF BENIN WEST AFRICA.
OUR REF:U.B./MF/B01/Vol 01
OFFICE CONTACT'S PHONE :(+229 96349109)
Dear Sir/Madam,
This is a reminder message regarding your ATM master card for your computational fund sum of US$(ONE MILLION Two hundred and fifty thousand US dollars only) approved by the Ministry of Finance. The Foreign Payment Department of UBA has been mandated by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Benin National Petroleum Corporation to handle the payment of your compensation fund of the above amount by ATM card. Your email contact is amongs the listed beneficiaries in the data for the sum of US$(ONE MILLION Two hundred and fifty thousand US dollars only)
And I have been assigned by the management of CBA to carry out delivery of the ATM card package to you. This compensation is in compliance with IMF and World bank directives to pacify victims of internet scam.On this note,I am pleased to inform you that ATM card Number 4539 7978 0214 3027 for the sum of S$(ONE MILLION Two hundred and fifty thousand US dollars only) has been credited in your favor and ready for immediate delivery to you.
You are hereby required to confirm your telephone number and present address were you want the ATM card delivered to you. Upon receipt of the above requirements from you I shall have your ATM card package dispatched to you by courier service who will deliver to your designated home address. With the ATM card, you can make withdrawals from any part of the world at ATM center near to you.
The pin and all necessary user guides will be attached on delivery (intact in the ATM card package documents) which will be delivered to you by the courier service, for you reason use.
So the Information you are required to reconfirm to the ATM OFFICE is as Follow.
(1)Your Full Name:........................
(2)Mobile Phone Number:...................
(3)Current Home Address:..................
(4)Your Occupation:.......................
(5)Country:...............................
(6)City:..................................
(7)Your address:..........................
(8)A Copy of Your ID For Identification.
Further instruction/directive will be sent to you on receipt of your acknowledgment to this message.
Best Regards
Dr Donatus Lee
+22996349109
Your Atm Master Card
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